1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved football. The invention relates more particularly to improvements to a football which facilitate handling and throwing a football.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known football includes an outer leather casing and an inner inflatable air bladder which is inserted into the casing and then inflated to provide the football's oblate spheroidal shape. An elongated narrow opening is provided in the casing which provides access to the casing interior for inserting the bladder prior to inflation. The opening is secured by a closure lacing which is dressed through an array of lace holes extending along opposite edges of the opening. The lace is secured and the bladder is inflated directly through a bladder valve which extends through the casing thickness. Bladder type footballs have also been fabricated with a continuous outer rubber skin by molding processes. The latter retain the appearance of and outer characteristics of traditional leather casing footballs by integrally forming a simulated closure lace therein. Another known form of football is a bladderless type which is generally formed of relatively soft polymeric plastic material and is shaped and sized to conform in configuration with the bladder type of football. While not requiring a lace for closure, the bladderless type includes a simulated closure lace integrally formed in the surface of the football.
In view of a football's size, shape and surface texture, a player handling the football and preparing to pass it often becomes comfortable with gripping the ball so that the player's fingertips lay on and grip the closure lacing. This aids not only in gripping the ball but also enhances the spin of the ball and thus the spiral trajectory of the ball and distance of a pass. However, when the ball is not initially received by the player with this desired orientation for passing it, the player will ordinarily rotate the ball in his hands until it is orientated with the desired contact between the laces and player's finger tips. At times, a player may be required to effect a full half rotation of the football to establish this orientation. A problem with this practice is that in today's relatively fast football game, it takes time to orient the ball and although it may take only seconds or fraction of a second, the passer's attention is momentarily diverted from the other aspects of play. Coaches continuously attempt to have the passer simply grip the ball as received but finding the laces remains a continuing problem.